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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23531119">Rent Money</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelSpeaks/pseuds/SelSpeaks'>SelSpeaks</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lupin III, Lupin the Third</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Domestic, Fluff, Heist, please be nice its my first fic, red jacket aesthetic but blue jacket vibes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:34:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23531119</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelSpeaks/pseuds/SelSpeaks</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Money is low, Lupin is bored, and Paris is having a parade. When could be a better time for a heist?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Nag</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1</p><p>    “Gotta work.” It was said casually, with no urgency.<br/>
    “Yeah, yeah, get off my ass about it, would ya?”<br/>
    “Money’s tight. Gotta do a job.”<br/>
    The smell of coffee drifted through the worn down kitchen. Thin blue curtains, littered with holes and tears, fluttered as they tried to keep the harsh morning sun at bay. The faint sound of the morning news droned in the background.<br/>
    “Look, I’m very aware of our financial situation. I’ve already got something in the works, so would you lay off me for a day Jigen?”<br/>
    Lupin slumped down in his chair, elbows falling onto the small table in front of him. For a moment, there was silence. Then, the steady sound of Lupin rocking in the off-balance chair.<br/>
    “All I’m sayin’,” Jigen started, scrambling something in the hot pan in front of him, “is we outta start planning further ahead. At least put some of the money away from this job so we can get a nicer apartment.”<br/>
    Jigen picked up the pan and brought it over to the table. He pushed half of the slightly overcooked eggs onto a plate in front of Lupin, and the rest onto an empty plate for himself. He dropped the pan into the sink and sat down next to Lupin to begin eating.<br/>
    “And all I’m saying, dear Jigen, is that you need to have some faith in me now and then!” Lupin scooped up a forkful of eggs and put it in his mouth with a huff. “I swear, some days it feels like you only see me as your sugar daddy or something! Money this, money that! It’s always the same with you, you know? How’s a man supposed to think with all that? ...And the eggs are burnt.”<br/>
    Jigen ignored his boss, his friend, and ate quietly. Money really was getting tight, and he knew the situation wouldn’t change unless he either nagged Lupin or something particularly shiney came up on the TV. It had been four months since they did a job, and they had just enough between them for one week of groceries and rent. And, most importantly, they only had one pack of cigarettes left. Thinking of it, he grabbed a fresh one and held it in his hand.<br/>
    “You call Goemon yet?” Jigen asked before taking a slow sip of coffee.<br/>
    “He’ll be here on Friday.”<br/>
    Lupin drank his coffee quickly, eyes focused somewhere in the distance. It wasn’t that he was unaware of their need for money. He had been thinking about a good heist to pull off for a few weeks now. It was just that nothing really felt right. He didn’t want to just nab any old thing this time to make rent. He was bored, and when Lupin got bored he wanted to put on a show. As far as he could gather, even Zenigata was at a dead end at the moment. They hadn’t heard a peep from the ICPO since getting to Paris. It was a little unnerving.<br/>
    “Fujiko?” Jigen put the cigarette in his mouth and lit it lazily.<br/>
    “I haven’t called her.”<br/>
    “Hmph. Let’s keep it that way.”<br/>
    Lupin snatched the cigarette from Jigen’s mouth and brought it to his own. “She’s not as bad as you make her out to be, Jigen.” He took a long draw. “In fact, I was thinking she could help out a lot on this new job…”<br/>
    “So you do have something planned?” Jigen grabbed a new smoke and lit it between his teeth. “If ya need her help, why haven't you called her yet then?”<br/>
    “It’s in the works. Patience, patience! You can’t rush this kind of thing.”<br/>
    Jigen groaned. Lupin had let a large smile creep onto his face. It was a familiar smile full of plotting and mischief. The kind that usually got them into more trouble than they needed. As much as Jigen wanted money, he wasn’t sure whatever crazy plan Lupin was building would be worth the hassle.<br/>
    “Look now, Lupin-”<br/>
    “Oh hush, Jigen dear! I’ve got something brewing that’s going to satisfy all your nagging.” Lupin stood up and brought his empty plate to the sink, dropping it in with a loud clatter. “Everything is all coming together now, and your whining really is very distracting.”<br/>
    Lupin took a long draw from his cigarette and blew it out in the direction of the half-open window. He didn’t really have much of a plan, to be honest with himself, but it was actually hard to think with Jigen bothering him every hour. He didn’t like to share his plans until he knew all the details. Jigen knew that. Lupin figured the lack of cigarette money was more of what Jigen was concerned about than anything.<br/>
    Jigen stood up, letting his chair scrape on old wood flooring, and wandered into the living room. He sat down on a battered recliner and watched the news absentmindedly. Lupin started meandering around the apartment, picking up a thing here or there, placing them on the long coffee table in front of the couch. Eventually, the table was covered in papers, folders, photos, and his laptop. For a while, there was only the sound of a man covering local construction updates from the television and the fluttering of papers. Now and then, pencil scribbles jumped out in short bursts of erratic writing. Outside, a car honked.<br/>
    “Hey, Jigen,” Lupin said slowly. “Heard anything from Pops?”<br/>
    “Nope.”<br/>
    More papers rustled and the quiet sounds of notes being jot down were alive again. Jigen picked up the remote off the floor near his feet and started flipping through channels. Sports- soccer, a cooking show, an old western movie, more news, commercials….<br/>
    “Hey, wait a second. Go back.”<br/>
    Jigen flipped the channel back and let it land on a young news anchor with bright red hair. She was standing in front of an old memorial, discussing parade plans for the following weekend. The woman’s voice was serious as she updated on the route the parade would follow.<br/>
    “The annual Bastille Day Parade will be conducted this Sunday on July 14th. The parade has been tradition since 1880, when our military…”<br/>
    Lupin didn’t look up at the television, but started writing quickly on a nearby piece of paper. He pushed a folder off the table, letting it fall messily to the floor, and picked up a different one nearby. Jigen could hear quiet mumbles from the direction of the coffee table. He knew better than to interrupt Lupin when he was focused like this, and was just glad his boss finally seemed to be working on a job again. Jigen put the remote down on the ground again and got up, heading for the bathroom. He froze when a knock rang out from the door. Lupin looked up at the door, then to Jigen, and both men jolted forward with a hand at their hips.<br/>
    “Expecting anyone today?” Jigen whispered.<br/>
    “Not a soul.” Lupin slowly inched forward to the door, eyeing the peephole. Jigen gripped his gun in preparation.<br/>
    The view from the peephole revealed a mess of black hair and a stern expression. Lupin let out a long breath and knocked a quick pattern on the door. A similar pattern was repeated. Lupin unlocked the deadbolt and threw the door open.<br/>
    “Goemon! You scared the crap outta Jigen here!” Lupin threw his arm around the samurai’s shoulder and led him inside.<br/>
    “My apologies. I did not expect to arrive early. I did not mean to scare you, Jigen.”<br/>
    Jigen huffed and headed back towards the bathroom. “I wasn’t scared.”<br/>
    Goemon freed himself from Lupin’s arm and headed into the living room. He eyed the mess of papers on the table and floor, and opted to sit on the recliner, away from the madness.<br/>
    “You are still preparing.” It wasn’t said as a question, but it was meant as one. Lupin laughed.<br/>
    “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, Goemon! I’ve got it all taken care of!” Lupin went back to the table and sat down, looking through papers to find his place again.<br/>
    Jigen stepped out of the bathroom and paused when he saw his spot taken. He opted to go to his room instead, and shut the door behind him grumbling. The rest of the day was spent in relative quiet among the three men. Jigen spent his time maintaining his guns and Goemon seemed to sit as a statue. Lupin, for his part, was working nonstop on whatever plan he was organizing, with the mess on the table slowly showing small forms of organization through piles and groups of notes. Around 6pm, Jigen emerged from his room with a half-smoked cigarette in his mouth. He silently went to the kitchen and washed the morning’s dishes in preparation for dinner. That was another thing he wanted money for- more than three plates and a mishmash of silverware and cups.<br/>
    “I want soba.” Goemon said from his spot on the chair, not opening his eyes.<br/>
    “Yeah, well, we don't got soba here.”<br/>
    Lupin said nothing, intent on the work before him. Suddenly, he jumped up.<br/>
    “I’m going out.” He said, starting for the door.<br/>
    “Hey, Lupin! I’m about to make dinner! Where are ya going so fast?”<br/>
    Lupin grabbed his red jacket off a hook near the door and pulled it on quickly. He squinted at his faint reflection in a window, fixing his hair, before turning to look back at his teammates.<br/>
     “I’ve got to work something out before I can set things in motion. I shouldn’t be more than a few hours.” With that, he stepped out the door and loudly pulled it closed behind him. Jigen and Goemon shared a look before Jigen sighed.<br/>
    “Damn brat, can’t wait twenty god damn minutes to eat with us, can he?”<br/>
    “It must be very urgent.”<br/>
    “Urgent my ass! He can starve for all I care.”<br/>
    Jigen was louder than necessary while making instant noodles, grumbling and huffing with each step. He held a steaming bowl in front of Goemon and, after Goemon accepted, sat down at the kitchen table to slurp it down. Goemon rose from the chair, bowl in one hand and sword in another, and made his way to the table as well. The two ate in silence, secretly enjoying one another’s company, and said nothing to each other the remainder of the night.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>    The front door flew open and banged against the wall behind it. Jigen’s eyes flew open and he immediately grabbed for his handgun. He had fallen asleep on the couch hours earlier, the soft drone of french politics lulling him to sleep. The sky outside was dark now.<br/>
    Lupin was at the front door, dragging a huge object wrapped in tan paper and tied with twine inside. He was mumbling to himself, clearly agitated, as he heaved the thing into the apartment. He kicked the door behind him to close it and, after finally wrestling to prop the object against the wall, he took a deep breath and sighed.<br/>
    “No good, lousy, piece of god damn shit…”<br/>
    “Lupin, where have you been?” Jigen sat up and rubbed his eyes. His watch said it was 2:37am. “You said you’d be gone an hour or two.”<br/>
    “Yeah well sometimes things don't work out and sometimes people don't work out either, I’ll tell you that much! One and a half million and this guy can’t even bother to get things done on time! I swear Jigen, this guy is the absolute worst. Almost makes me want to call the whole thing off!”<br/>
    Goemon shuffled out of Jigen’s room, half awake, to see what the noise was about. He eyed the large rectangle and the nearby angry Lupin.<br/>
    “You’re back,” Goemon said.<br/>
    “And he’s pissed,” Jigen added. “Lupin, what the hell happened?”<br/>
    Lupin stomped over to the kitchen table where an almost empty pack of cigarettes sat. He pulled one out, quickly lit it, and drew in quickly. He stood there, smoking, tapping his foot quickly against the floor.<br/>
    “Well, it’s taken care of now, so in the end it’s all fine. I’ll tell you, guys, what happened to chivalry? Decency among men? Sticking to your word? Is there a single gentleman left in this country? I waited for hours! Are there any leftovers?”<br/>
    Lupin moved over to the fridge and opened it. Inside, a single half-drunk water bottle and a head of lettuce waited for him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let the door fall closed. Lupin pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and fell down into it. He sat there for a moment, holding his head in one hand and devouring his cigarette, before addressing his teammates.<br/>
    “I’ve got everything planned out for Sunday.”<br/>
    “So you’ve finally got a job set up?” Jigen got up and went to join Lupin in the kitchen. Goemon followed.<br/>
    “Yeah, yeah. So no need to nag me anymore, ok? I’ve got a buyer for a Franz Xaver Winterhalter.”<br/>
    “Lupin! Is that thing in there a painting? You didn’t go alone, did ya?” Jigen scowled at the idea of a job going wrong with nobody to be a lookout.<br/>
    “It is a painting, but not a Winterhalter. That’s what we’re putting in its place. I’d say it was worth the wait, though. It’s an amazing work of art. I was supposed to pick up at seven thirty, but it wasn’t done yet.”<br/>
    Jigen and Goemon both glanced at the large painting, wrapped carefully for protection. A replacement wasn’t unheard of if they wanted to get out of town before anyone noticed it was missing, or even if they wanted to snatch an art quickly before Pops got to the scene. For some reason, though, Jigen had a bad feeling about this one.<br/>
    “So what’s the plan?”<br/>
    Lupin smiled, then. It was his big, cocky smile, and Jigen frowned. This was going to be a pain in the ass.<br/>
    “Sunday, July 14th. There’s the annual Bastille Day Parade going from the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs Elysee. That’s when we nab it.”<br/>
    “What, exactly,” Goemon started, “are we ‘nabbing’?”<br/>
    Lupin got up and went to the coffee table. He picked up a large roll of paper, a few photos, and some notes. He came back to the kitchen and spread everything out in front of him. The largest piece was a rolled up map, a blueprint. Around it he put photos and sketches of what looked like guard movements.<br/>
    “This,” Lupin pointed to a room in the blueprint, “is the Salon Theatre in the Louvre. It’s part of the Napoleon III Apartments. In this room, here,“ he pointed to a wall of the blueprint, “is the painting ‘Portrait of Napoleon III’.”<br/>
    “We’re stealing a painting out of the Louvre?” Jigen looked over the papers and notes in front of him. He had to admit, this was a good deal of information. Lupin had definitely been working on this for weeks.<br/>
    “Indeed we are! This is a photo of it. We’re going to strike during the parade, when the city is focused away from it. Goemon, you’ll remove the painting from the frame and take it to the car while Jigen and I put up our little replacement. Here’s the route in…”<br/>
    The three men went over every detail of the plan, writing down times, notes, specific directions and things to look out for. They covered the observed guard rotation multiple times, and drew out four separate ways of exit depending on anticipated problems. Now and then, Jigen or Goemon would pose a new scenario and they would develop a contingency plan. At around seven in the morning, Lupin called it to go to sleep. His mind had been foggy for at least an hour at that point, and he was rubbing his eyes every other minute. With that, each member of the team found a spot around the apartment and slept very, very deeply, and did not wake until late in the afternoon.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Lunch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lupin is tired and grumpy, and he gets some lunch.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Friday, July 12th. 10:34am. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    The streets below the apartment were alive with the sounds of pedestrian and automobile traffic. Laughter from groups of women going about their weekend morning fluttered up through the window and into the dreary living room. Inside, Jigen was reading a wilted newspaper on the recliner, a lowball held lazily in his left hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Lupin shuffled out from his room, which was admittedly more of a large closet with a mattress thrown in, sporting a slightly torn white t-shirt and striped blue boxers. He made his way into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of lukewarm coffee. There were grinds in the bottom of the pot, mixing in with the freshly poured liquid. Lupin stared down into his gritty drink and took a sip anyway. He hadn’t been sleeping well, and they were almost out of coffee beans, so he wasn’t about to pass up a cup of joe now. It didn’t stop him from complaining, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “What’s this crap?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “‘S coffee.” Jigen didn't look up from his paper.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Its gritty dirt, that’s what it is.” His words didn’t hold any strong feeling, though. He was still groggy from sleep and mostly mumbled out gripes between sips. The scent of tobacco rose in the apartment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Living with you two is difficult.” Goemon’s voice came up from the floor of the living room. He was sitting cross legged, eyes closed, but one hand was held in front of his face. “It is hard to breathe in here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “The window’s open, whadda you want me to do about it?” Jigen flipped to the next page of the paper. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Lupin walked into the living room and half heartedly shoved papers on the couch to one side before sinking down. He switched on the television with the remote and half listened to the commercials as they played. The soft sounds of french media lulled him back into a hazy, somewhat asleep state. God, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Sleep just hadn’t been coming to him the last few nights and he wasn’t about to deny some rest now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Lup-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Let him sleep, Goemon.” Jigen said quietly. The two men both looked at their boss as his head fell downwards and his arms relaxed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Yes, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>motherfucker</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Lupin jumped up, patting at his arm where ash had fallen and burnt his arm. The sudden movement knocked coffee from the mug and onto his leg. It wasn’t scalding, but it was hot and wet and, now, everywhere. Lupin pushed nearby papers away from the spill. “Well isn’t that just </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Jigen sighed from his seat. Over the last couple of days he had seen his friend slowly succumb to the effects of insomnia. It happened now and then, Lupin not being able to sleep, and this wasn’t even a particularly bad episode. Nevertheless, sleep deprivation made Lupin grumpy and harder to deal with than usual. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “That better have not been our last cigarette.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “So what if it was! You just gonna sit there and watch or are you going to help me out here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Jigen tossed his newspaper down and headed to the kitchen to grab a rag. He came back and started soaking up the coffee from the floor around Lupin’s feet, moving papers aside here and there. When he was done, he tossed the rag at Lupin perhaps a little too forcefully and sat back down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Lupin, you need to sleep before our mission,” Goemon said from his place on the floor. He hadn’t moved an inch. Although his words sounded scolding, his tone hinted at concern for his friend. “Perhaps some hot tea will soothe your mind and body.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Lupin sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He still had a lot to do before Sunday and time was running out. He didn’t think sleep was going to come easily until he was skipping out of the country with half a million dollars. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Lets run it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Jigen groaned loudly and tipped his hat back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “You’ve gotta be kidding! How many times are we gonna go over this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “We’re going over it until I’m confident we’re all ready.” Lupin sat down again and started pulling up papers here and there. “From the top.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “You will enter as a guard the morning of the 14th,” Goemon said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice, “and intercept inspector Zenigata.” Lupin nodded, then looked at Jigen. Jigen sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I’ll be there with ya with the decoy painting. We set it up as switching it before it's stolen. You keep Pops talking while I do it and move the real painting to the back room. Then we swap faces and wait.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Ok, good,” Lupin said. “At 4pm they’ll be ready for me, guarding the fake painting, and you’ll be in the back with the real one. Pops will undoubtedly be waiting for me near the fake, leaving you and a few guards alone with the actual Napoleon. You two will move the painting to our van on route A while I stage a dramatic performance for good ol’ Pops….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Damnit Lupin, we’ve got it already. See? We know what’s what,” Jigen said. “What’re you being so paranoid for? Go to bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “That’s just the first option, though-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I agree with Jigen. You’ll make a careless mistake unless you rest well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    The three men sat in silence for a moment. Jigen and Goemon were right, they knew they were right. Lupin knew it too. He was just stuck with this feeling he couldn’t shake, like he was missing something. Something small, something important. Maybe it really was the lack of sleep getting to him. He checked his watch and took in a slow, deep breath. Sleep would have to wait. Lupin went into his room and changed into his day clothes, brushing back his hair and straightening his tie before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He knew he needed to shave, too, but he wasn’t too keen on holding a straight razor to his face right now. As he ran his toothbrush under the water, his eyes unfocused and he became lost in thought. What was it? There was definitely something he was forgetting. His phone rang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>   “Heh-O?” Lupin answered his phone with the toothbrush still in his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Lup-in! You answered, good!” The familiar tone of a woman’s voice came through the speaker. Lupin spit out his toothbrush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Ah, Fuji-cakes! To what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your lovely voice?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Cut the crap, Lupin. I know you’re working on something in Paris. I want in on it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Lupin paused for a moment, foggy brain working through the words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “And where, my darling, beautiful, heavenly Fujiko, did you hear that?” Lupin’s voice had a smile, but his face was pulled into a deep frown.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “You know I have my sources. Look, just let me in on it, ok? I’m already in France anyway, so it’s a waste not to…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Sorry, love, but I’ve got this covered already. I can’t go changing the script before the show, now can I? How about a raincheck?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “...Go stuff it, Lupin!” The call ended with a click. Lupin sighed. He really didn’t need this right now. He headed back to the living room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I just got an interesting call,” Lupin said, rubbing his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “From the Sandman, I hope,” Goemon said from his spot on the floor. Jigen gave a small huff, not quite a laugh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “It was Fujiko.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Fujiko?! Damnit Lupin, I told you to leave that witch out of this! You know she’s just gonna screw us over again.” Jigen took a long drink from  his class and scowled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I turned her down, but she said something that didn’t sit right with me….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “We should call it off if Fujiko Mine is involved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Silence hung heavy in the air. Usually, statements like that were met with protests from Lupin, with promises of </span>
  <em>
    <span>this time</span>
  </em>
  <span> being different, </span>
  <em>
    <span>this time</span>
  </em>
  <span> she wouldn’t betray them. Right now, though, Goemon’s words felt as true as anything. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I know you’re working on something in Paris.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Where did she hear that from? Lupin had been very, very careful to only involve the necessary people. Was she closer than she let on, watching his movements? It wouldn’t surprise him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Calling the job off, however, was not an option. He already had a buyer lined up. He already had a decoy made- an expensive one, he might add. Everything was planned down to the letter. They had gone over it countless times. And, most importantly, they were all flat broke. Goemon could keep going a while before the shitty food got to him, but Jigen was becoming a real ass without his normal amount of daily tobacco and Lupin was ready to get some quality meat for dinner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “We aren’t calling anything off. If she comes around, we’ll deal with it like always.” There was no room for argument. Lupin leaned against the wall and took in a deep breath. “Besides, I doubt she knows as much as she’s leading on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Yeah, well, I don’t like it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I agree.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    They weren’t said to further the conversation, but rather to signal the end. Each man had said his piece, and the decision had been made. Everyone understood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “...I’m going out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Jigen groaned loudly. “Lupin, c’mon. Where are you going now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I have a meeting. Should be back by dinner time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “We do not have food for dinner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Lupin finished getting ready and headed out the door. The sun glared into his tired eyes and he shuffled down the sidewalk. He pulled a crumpled cigarette from his jacket pocket. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> was actually the last one, hidden away from Jigen for safe keeping. Lupin lit it and took a drag. God, today was already a long day. </span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Friday, July 12th, 12:30pm</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    Lupin sat at an outdoor table belonging to a small cafe. He was in the shade, barely, which he was grateful for, and a hot cup of coffee was held in one hand. In front of him, a fresh plate of fruits and a couple slices of ham were waiting to be eaten. Around him, other patrons ate pastries and drank variations of coffee while making idle chit chat. The weather was warm and many people were wearing summertime clothes. By comparison, Lupin stood out, but not so much that anybody bothered with a second glance. It was lunch on a friday, so a man in a suit was not too unusual. Although, most men in suits didn’t choose bright red as their primary color. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    An older gentleman in a more unimpressive suit casually walked up to Lupin’s table. He made a small gesture, asking for permission to sit. Lupin waved his hand passively for him to be seated. The man removed his hat to reveal fading grey hair and a worn face. With a quick glance he would look like a kind grandfather getting ready to retire, but upon closer inspection there was a coldness radiating off of his person. He smiled at Lupin, eyes unchanging. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “How is the food here?” He asked. His French was perfect, but with a slight accent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Try it yourself,” Lupin answered, picking up a forkful of ham. “It’s fantastic.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Hm. Maybe sometime I will.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    The two men sat in silence as Lupin took a bite now and then, sipping his coffee slowly. That was one of the things he loved about France- eating out. It was a relaxing event, unlike in countries such as America. He could sit here with his small amount of food for an hour without a waitress harassing him to finish up. It was peaceful. Lupin didn’t get much peace in his life. He didn’t seek it out, usually, but now and then he just wanted to sit in Paris and have lunch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “July 15th,” Lupin said after putting his coffee cup down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I understand,” The man answered. “Up front?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Half.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Well, now! That’s quite bold.” The man chuckled. He did not smile as he did so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I don’t think it is. In fact, I think it’s quite a good investment, wouldn’t you agree?” Lupin picked up a strawberry and examined it. It was a little soft.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Is it,  now?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    The table fell quiet again for a few moments. The waitress came over to take the man’s order- a coffee, two sugars and some cream. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “We have a guest, you know,” Lupin said lazily, not looking at the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I was under the impression she was with you. I’m not offended, it’s natural to protect yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    Lupin let his gaze wander a few tables over. There sat a redheaded woman with an untouched croissant, appearing to read a novel with a bright pink cover. She hadn’t turned the page in over seven minutes, he noticed. Her nails were perfect, he noticed.</span>
  <em>
    <span> Her fingers have a tint of orange</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he noticed. Lupin passively wondered what hair color Fujiko had a few days ago. Obviously her money was running tight, too, because he had almost never seen her dye her own hair. She kept looking at her book, pretending to read. Lupin sighed. So much for a relaxing lunch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “How about this, then,” Lupin started. “A quarter now. The rest after the work is completed. And let's make sure we only use secure servers. We don’t want our business being leaked to any other companies, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    The man nodded slowly, thinking over the numbers. He scratched his chin. The waitress dropped off his coffee and he took a small sip before placing it back on the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Yes, yes. That should work fine. I’ll send the funds to your department within the hour. I assume there will be no problems reaching the deadline?” He raised one eyebrow and shot a quick glance at Fujiko. Lupin chuckled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “It’s basically done already, don’t you worry about a thing,” Lupin smiled a big smile and laughed. “Anything else?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “I believe that’s all for now,” the man said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    “Well, then,” Lupin said as he stood up. He walked around the table and put a hand on the gentleman's shoulder, feigning friendliness. His grip was a little too tight. “Thank you for lunch!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>    And with that, Lupin headed back to the apartment, only half paying attention to the woman following behind him. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The stage is set, so next chapter they will begin the heist!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Drunk</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>They steal things and get drunk</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Oh I'm sorry, you think I look over things before posting? That's funny. I only do that for my new work. ...Sometimes.</p><p>Anyway. I update things sometimes. This heist was never the main plot &gt;:3c I have that written in random notes I scribbled in April!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>3</p><p>Sunday, July 14th. 12:47pm.</p><p>	Zenigata was busy. He was always busy, but today he was especially busy. He had gotten notice of a calling card from Lupin III, one stating his plan to steal a painting from the Louvre. He had booked a redeye to Paris immediately and got to work as the plane landed. He was organizing ICPO and local law enforcement, but the crew was thin. Of course it’s thin,  Zenigata thought. There's a parade going on. Of course there’s a parade going on. He wasn’t phased when local police told him they had most units put aside for the Bastille Day Parade. National leaders from various countries were stationed to be in the city today. Zenigata focused as many people as he could onto the task at hand, but communications were almost nonexistent.<br/>
The morning had been hell and it wasn’t slowing down. Zenigata was stationed in the main room housing the famous artwork. He didn’t really understand what was so special about this particular painting, but right now it didn’t matter. Lupin sent a card, so Lupin would be there. He didn’t actually have the energy to think about it, anyway. A young, fresh-looking officer trotted up to the inspector.<br/>
“Monsieur! The decoy has been placed!” The officer did an awkward salute.<br/>
“Er...at ease...boy. You make sure we have the real one secured away tight. We don’t know what exactly Lupin has planned yet.”<br/>
“Yes, Monsieur!” The young officer spoke quickly into his walkie talkie and stood stiffly next to Zenigata.<br/>
Zenigata checked his watch, tapping his foot. Lupin said he would steal the painting at 1pm. It was getting close. Zenigata pulled out the copy of the calling card he had made for him.</p><p>“I’m going to steal the lovely Portrait of Napoleon III at 1pm on July 14th, during the annual Bastille Day Parade.<br/>
~Lupin III”</p><p>	Zenigata frowned. Out of everything in the museum, this was a bit strange for Lupin to steal. There were much more expensive works of art, and if he was going for a shiny gift for Fujiko there were plenty of glittery items. It had been four months since Zenigata caught wind of Lupin and his gang. Something didn’t add up here. Lupin should have been grabbing something huge- maybe the entire museum itself. The inspector laughed a little to himself at how unsurprised he would be in that scenario. Mostly, he would be impressed.<br/>
A mile and a half away, perhaps a half-hour walk or so, the parade was in full swing. Foreign leaders had arrived and shook hands. Horses trotted in unison down the street. The sidewalks were crowded with civilians holding their small children up to see or using their phones to record the display. Loud cheers could be heard clearly, even from the museum. The walkie talkie on the young officer’s belt cackled. Some garbled French sputtered out.<br/>
“Inspector,” The officer said, accent thick and words slow. “It is now twelve fifty eight.”<br/>
Zenigata nodded. They were as ready as they were going to be. He had spent as much time as he could preparing the barebones group. He watched the room tensely as the seconds ticked by. At exactly 1pm, the lights cut out.<br/>
“It’s Lupin!” He shouted. “Get the reserve power on! We’re gonna catch him this time!”<br/>
Footsteps echoed throughout the room and orders were yelled to everyone and no one. English, Japanese, and French intermingled into a cacophony of noise. It only took a moment for the lights to be on again, and the noise to die down. Zenigata whirled around, ready to face the thief head-on. He took in the room, officers standing around looking this way and that, furniture still in place, floor pristine...<br/>
“What the hell…? Lupin! Get out here!” Zenigata shouted into the open room. Nobody responded. Half a minute passed before there was a loud explosion above the police officers on guard.<br/>
Zenigata turned and looked at the painting of Napoleon. Where the emperor’s head had been now sat a beautifully done painting of none other than Lupin himself. The canvas had been blown away, revealing the artwork underneath. It was a fake. When did he switch it out? Zengiata threw his hat at the ground and let out an angry grunt.<br/>
“Lock the doors! Block the exits! Lupin is in  here somewhere! You-” He pointed towards the young french officer, “go check on the authentic painting!”<br/>
Zenigata did not wait for confirmation before turning back to bark more orders. Outside, faint cheering could be heard from the parade. The museum floor was now, again, a flurry of running and yelling. It was, Zenigata thought, an absolute mess. He sighed and turned to look at the new painting Lupin had left, ready to jot down clues, only to see the officer from a moment ago still standing in place.<br/>
“Uh...did ya hear me boy? Parlay voo...English?”<br/>
“Oui, I heard you.”<br/>
“Well then why are ya just standing there when-”<br/>
The face of the officer was torn away and Zenigata was suddenly face to face with his foe. Lupin gave the inspector a large grin before sticking his tongue out and bolting for the only open exit.<br/>
“Wh- Bu- Hey! Hey! It’s Lupin, after him! Lupin, get back here!”<br/>
Zengiata chased Lupin through the doors. He blinked at the sudden midday sunlight, then turned to the sound of a car engine quickly growing louder. Coming straight for him was a yellow compact car, three familiar faces inside. In the driver’s seat was a grinning Daisuke Jigen, the best sharpshooter Zenigata had ever met. Behind him was the one and only Goemon Ishikawa, a skilled and terrifying samurai. And seemingly tossed in on his side was Arsene Lupin the Third, master thief, smiling gleefully and waving at Zenigata as they sped past him. Classical music blared from the small car’s speakers.<br/>
He had been played for a fool. It took almost three full minutes for Zenigata to organize the officers under him enough to chase Lupin. By then, he knew, it was pointless. They had lost. In the distance, Zenigata heard cheers and clapping and trumpets.</p><p> </p><p>Sunday, July 14th. 8:29pm.</p><p>	Three men could only drink so much before passing out. These three men, however, were pushing that limit as far as they could go. For as much as Lupin had stressed and fussed, their plan went off seamlessly. They had laughed together the entire drive back, and the entire trip to the liquor store, and the entire night as they drank. The thrill of a perfect heist and finally having money made each of them giddy. </p><p>“Lup-Lupaaaa,” Jigen slurred out between giggles. “Bossss, when do we get paid?”</p><p>“I’ve got, he’s tomorrow, right, ha!” Lupin was laying on the couch. Or rather, he was hanging off the couch, head to the floor and legs straight up, hiccups moving dangerously close to gags with each sip.</p><p>“An-! How much and it is now?”</p><p>“...What?”</p><p>“Rich now?”</p><p>Lupin raised the bottle in his arm in a sign of agreement. Yes, they were rich from that down payment, and they were about to be a whole lot richer. In the corner, Goemon’s sitting body slumped over. The faint sound of a snore came from his direction. If any of them mentioned it tomorrow he would deny falling asleep, but for tonight Lupin and Jigen silently pointed at him and made faces to each other before falling into another wave of loud laughs. </p><p>“Hey. Hey! Hey Boss! Bosssss. Lupinnnnn boss!” </p><p>“Whaaaat what what what!”</p><p>The two giggled and snorted to themselves before Jigen composed himself. They took some deep breaths and allowed a moment of quiet to fall between them.</p><p>“So. Did ya pay rent yet?”</p><p>“Fuck!”</p><p>It wasn’t long after that both Lupin and Jigen had fallen into their own slumbers where they sat, leaving the mess and their hangovers for the following day.</p><p> </p><p>Monday, July 15th. 10:17am.</p><p>Lupin’s eyes cracked open towards the harsh light attacking him. Everything hurt. His body hurt. His head hurt. His stomach hurt. For a moment, as he gathered his thoughts and consciousness, he wondered if the job yesterday had gone wrong. How long had he been out? Were the others okay? It wasn’t the first time he had awoken confused and in pain. Okay, he thought to himself. Okay, first step is to check my surroundings.</p><p>He forced an eye open against the sunlight in his face, glancing around slowly. He was...in their apartment. So he wasn’t in jail, that was a positive. He looked down at his body. No blood or bandages. So he wasn’t shot. His eyes scanned over the room. Jigen was in the recliner, crooked and asleep, and Goemon was laying ungracefully on the floor. Between them all were bottles of...Oh. Oh right. Snippets of their night after the heist came to Lupin and his head throbbed. His stomach churned and he considered the risks and rewards of making a beeline for the toilet. He opted to move slowly as he sat up. </p><p>Sitting up was, apparently, more work than he’d anticipated. By the time he was upright he felt dizzy and on the verge of throwing up. He briefly glanced at his watch before turning to face his current worst enemy- the window. New step one, he thought, is closing the god damn curtains. It wasn’t easy to get himself up, let alone make his way to the window and draw the curtains closed. The lower light had an instant effect on his pounding headache. The next stop was the bathroom. Lupin knew this part would be worse.</p><p>It was Goemon that woke next, groaning and pushing himself up off the floor, brushing his hair away from his face and mouth. He felt grimy and his scalp itched, and every muscle in his body was sore. It was days like these that he allowed himself to indulge in a real shower, one with hot water and sweet-smelling soaps. When he was outside the bathroom door, however, the sound of retching stopped him in his tracks. Perhaps today was not a day to indulge in such things. </p><p>Perhaps today would be better suited to throwing pillows at Jigen until he woke up. </p><p>Jigen was the last to wake, pillows tossed at him relentlessly, groans and swears sliding from his lips as he halfheartedly tossed them back. He swore to himself that he would get revenge, but he felt too sick to plan much further than that. He felt like shit, and he knew Goemon wasn’t doing all that much better, but at least neither of them were puking in the toilet at ten in the morning. </p><p>“Hey,” Jigen got out before a pillow hit his face. “Okay, well I was gonna ask if you could stomach breakfast, but nevermind.”</p><p>“Eggs and toast.”</p><p>Jigen tossed a pillow back at Goemon, frowning when he caught it easily. </p><p>“Yeah yeah, sure, I think he bought some before we left yesterday. Tea?”</p><p>“Please.”</p><p>They didn’t bother waiting for Lupin to come out. A meal without him was a quiet one, a peaceful one, and it was rare they got such a thing twice in one week. The two sat across from one another, focused on their own food and thoughts. It was near the end of their meal that Lupin finally came out, freshly showered and looking like death, and looked between them and the empty plates. His eyes narrowed.</p><p>“You dicks.” </p><p>Their apartment once again filled with laughter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the fic I add to when my other things are exhausting. It'll update sometimes.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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